Second album by this German duo of Markus Popp (Oval) and Jan St. Werner (Mouse On Mars), issued domestically in collaboration with Mille Plateaux. "The 'instruments' used are what could be seen as their successors -- machines and digital technology. Where Oval excludes authorship of music, Microstoria explores authorship, especially in relation to improvisation. The tones used in composition are mechanized, yet paradoxically rich. The resulting pieces are organic in feel, a striking result when viewed in context with their origins. snd was recorded partly in Berlin and partly in Cologne. Markus and Jan used classical improvisation techniques to create source material for mixing. This recording was done on high end digital equipment utilizing cutting edge digital sound editing as well as instruments and their digitally implemented equivalents. Microstoria concentrates on minute musical details, in order to end up with a smooth succession of carefully sampled soundframes, replayed in 'slow motion'. Microstoria challenges the conventional concept of music. They remove many compositional boundaries. Freed from traditional concepts of time, verse, even structure, Microstoria explores tone and texture, creating depth and form out of abstractions. Subtle tonal changes trigger major alterations in form and 'depth' when juxtaposed. The nature of improvisation is altered by the clear and precise editing decisions. It is this paradoxical arrangement that mirrors the aforementioned paradox of the organic sound/feel of the music and the mechanical origins. Microstoria's music, like many forms of abstraction, reveals its complexion upon close inspection."